


Homeward Bound

by FollowerofMercy



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Body Horror, Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Mild Gore, Oddly spoiler free, Quirrel has Questions, Quirrel is Back, The Void, The author apparently has a thing for eye horror, Weird Biology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 10:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15928646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FollowerofMercy/pseuds/FollowerofMercy
Summary: Quirrel and Ghost share a heart-to-heart about home.





	Homeward Bound

Halos from the light of Dirtmouth cut through the perpetual haze of dust, welcome beacons for weary travelers. Quirrel stretched and smiled down at his small friend as they made their way to the village proper.

“It’s good to have a place to come back to after a long day’s journey, no?”

The little knight stared straight ahead, a slight head tilt the only acknowledgment that it was listening.

“Such a homey town... It’s no Hallownest, but it has grit.”

He laced his fingers behind his head as they walked, his nail swinging with each step. The knight trotted alongside, taking two steps for each of his. He glanced over his shoulder at it.

“I must thank you again for introducing me to the cartographers. They’ve been so generous and Cornifer is a phenomenal cook. You should come over some time!”

He had never seen his friend eat in their long days together and was growing concerned.

When it didn’t object, he continued, talking with his hands.

“I’m sure they would let you stay with them, too! Catching naps on that cold bench can’t be good for your back.”

The knight looked up at him without breaking step. Quirrel mussed its head.

“So, where is home for you?”

The knight froze and pointed at the ground. Quirrel stopped mid-step and cocked his head.

 When Quirrel didn’t respond immediately, the knight jabbed more insistently.

“In Hallownest?”

The knight shook its head and pointed with both hands while making small stabbing motions.

“The… sewers?”

The knight dug around under its cloak and pulled out a map. Old gore stained the page, the entire sheet mottled off-orange and gray. It sidled close to Quirrel and pointed at the very bottom of the map, below an area marked “Abyss.” He had never been there, nor read about anything below the King’s shame. The world got more dangerous, more ancient the closer you came to its core.

“Down… below everything? What’s down there?”

The Ghost pointed at itself.

He wasn’t sure what the right question to ask was to help him understand. He rubbed Ghost’s shell and smiled under his mask. Something good came out of that place at least.

“Alright then. What’s it like? Cold? Warm? Wet?”

The Ghost paused for a moment, then took Quirrel’s hand. He let it do what it wanted as it scrutinized his fingers, bringing them far too close to its little eye.

Quirrel shrieked when the knight thrust his hand into its eye socket.

He tried to yank his hand out but the little knight held firm. He kept his fingers still to avoid damaging his insane little friend, fought the urge to ball into a fist and struggle.

His arm numbed to the elbow, but it was… nice? Coolness washed over him, pulsing from the liquid surrounding his hand and overriding his initial panic. He could feel individual tendrils probing at the chinks in his exoskeleton, filling cracks he didn’t even know he had with soothing relief.

It felt like rest and safety.

After a few seconds, the knight relinquished his arm. The black Void clung to him as he pulled his hand out, extending a bit past his friend’s shell before snapping free and returning to its vessel. Not a drop remained on him.

Quirrel inspected his arm for damage or residue, then tilted his friend’s mask back to check it.

“Please warn me before you do something like that, okay?”

The small knight nodded and poked his belly. He still hadn’t figured out what the pokes meant, but he laughed and scratched under its chin. Its head seemed heavier whenever he did that, though it never actually moved.

His friend was definitely not a bug.

“Well… it seems very nice. Do you plan to go back at some point?”

The knight looked off to the side, pulling away from the scritches. Quirrel sensed the urgency and waited for a response as its shoulders sagged, its nail resting in the dirt.

“Are you alright?”

It glared at some point in the distance before squeezing its nail. It looked him in the eye and nodded once, sharp and harsh. It pulled out its map and stabbed a pin through its home and pointed at it, nodding again.

“You’re a spirited little fellow. If you need help getting there, I am happy to assist.”

The knight stared up at him, searching, but Quirrel meant what he said. The knight had made itself his best friend, his only family in this dead world, and he would look after itjust as it had looked after him.

At length, the knight held up a hand. Quirrel took it, the temperature change uncomfortable but manageable, and squeezed.

A thought struck him.

Without hesitating, he swung his friend up onto his hip like a child. It stiffened at the movement, but then relaxed and wrapped its little arms around him once he settled it in place.

He started walking towards the town and booped his friend in the center of its mask with his free hand. They stepped into the village square, the lumafly lamps bathing them in soft lifght.

“Let’s rest up and then we’ll get you home. I promise.”


End file.
